Improvement in gymnastic apparatus



gaat aan.

-To all whom it may concer-a:

WILLIAM IIANLON, OF NEW YORK,

niv., AssieNon To mMsnLr AND GEORGE, ALFRED, FREDERICK, AND EDWARD HANLON.

Letters Patent No.,98,588, dated January 4, 1.870.

IMPROVEMENT YIN' GYMNASTIC APPARATUS.

The Schedule referred to in thesev Lettera Patent and making pari: of the same.

Be it known that I, WlLLIAM HANLON, of New York, in the county of Newlork, in the State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Gymnastic-Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that lthe following is a full and exact description thereof, referenceiheing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to a novel arrangement of fall-' ing or safety-apron, to be used in connection with the horizontal bar, or other apparatus of a gymnasium.

Previous to my invention various` contrivances have been suggested and employed as a preventive against injury to the gymnast, in the performance of feats upon the horizontal bar and other apparatus, such as beds, rugs, and suspended aprons, so arranged as to catch the performer in the eventof his making a slip or fall; but in all the safety-contrivances with which I` am `familiar, either the surface does not present, at all points, the proper degree of resistance and elasticity,

or they are so complex, and require so much rigging and time for placing in position, as to be objectionable, especially for stage performances. And since it is necessary for the performer to Vwalk and alight on the same surface on which he is liable to fall, if that surfacerbe composed of such (customarily employed) material as will form a soft cushionin falling, it will be almost impossible for a person to alight or ,walk upon it and maintain his equilibrium.

My invention has for its object to provide a contrivance or device to serve as a sure' preventive against injury in the event of falling, and which, at the same time, shall` present a surface easy and convenient to walk or alight upon, and which shall be so simple that it can be placed or rigged in position in an exceeding small space of time; and to these'ends,

My invention consists in an apron of cloth, or other' suitable textile fabric, having combined with it elastic y crossstays or ribs, of wood or other suitable material,

the whole adapted 'to be held in a taut condition below the performer, or Abetween the apparatus ou which the performance is to occur and the door or ground,

l so that, in the eventof a fall in any position, no possible injnry'or discomfort can result, as will be hereinafter more .fully explained; and

My invention further consists in the peculiar method, hereinafter described, of rigging up 'the elastic safetyapron so that it canhe quickly placed and removed for stage performances.' A

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to more fully describe it,

' referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in

whichg Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a horizontal-bar apparatus, having my invention arranged in connection with it;

Figure 2 is a top view of the same; and

Figure 3 is a partial bottom view (increasedI scale)A of the safety-apron.

In the several figures the same parts are designated by the same letters of reference.

A A are the uprights, or vert-ical posts, andA B, the horizontal bar. Y

1t is rigged up and held securely in position on the stage by means of\suitable stay-rods drawn tight by screw-'couplings in the usual way. v

i Beneath the bar B, low enough notv to interfere with the evolutions of the performers, and passing along between the posts A A, isfarranged my improvedA safety-apron C. f

This apron C, as represented, is composed of cloth or canvas, in which are secured numerous cross-stays or elastic slats l d, and it-is drawn or stretchedover two horses, ff, and maintained in a horizontal plane.

Y Along the two short 'edges or ends' of apron C are' secured the ends of numerous cords, 1, 2,3, 85o., which are converged to a common centre, or drawn together at fm. on, and there all formed into or united to a single cord, which, at .one end of theaprou, is simply vsecured to a fixed -pont (a hook or staple, o,) in the door or ground, and which, at the other end, is provided with i suitable pulleys or` blocks and tackle connecting to anotheriixed staple or holding-ring, in such manner that the apron may be drawn up to any given degree of tension.

sion, which will be determined by the expert, according to the character of the feats to be performed, and

-the weight of the performer or performers.

The apron C is connected or secured to the'posts A A at p p, for the purpose of sustaining it in the middle, and rendering it more rigid immediately beneath the bar B. At this point it is desirable to have it rigidly supported, for the convenience of standing -to -get hold of the bar, and itis not material to have it very elastic at this point, as the performer is not apt to fall immediately under the bar, and, if he does, cannot fall a great distance.

By sewing in, or otherwise securing to the apron C the series of spring-slats or cross-bars d, it is rendered capable of resisting any concussion occasioned by the performer falling near the edge or side of the apron, and consequently the person ialling will be cushioned the iloor or ground and get hurt.

lhe slats d, I have made of hickory, or some wood tough andspringy, and they should be made so thin and elastic, and they should be arranged so close to gcther, that a person falling on them, on the face, will not feel them much, while, at the same time, they will contribute suicient strength to the apron to render it capable of withstanding all shocks, and will not in any event break.

In lieu, however, of these wooden strips or crossstays, it may be found practical to employ thin strips of sheet-metal, or springs made something after the fashion of corset-springs, or whalebone or other suit able material may be employed; but the thin flat strips of wood, l` have found to work well and very successfully in practice.

It maybe foundexpedent to run in the long edges or sides of the apron, cords of some material, which will not yieldras much as the apron, so as to strengthen it, and make the apron capable of resisting concussion to the same'extent on the ext-reine edges as in the middle. Of course the stays d may be inserted in or secured to the apron C in anyydcsirable manner, and the apron itself may be composed of any suitable material.

It will be seen that by having numerous holdingcords -attached to the ends of the apron, it will be veryv securely or firmly held down on the horses, and that by drawing these cords together, as shown, so that a ksingle rope only has to be coupled at each end to the stage-fixture, the whole contrivance is adapted to be quickly placed or rigged up, and that in a very secure manner.

Iv have found, in practice, that an apron constructed and rigged up as I have described and shown, can 4be placed withina foot or so of the floor, and., while it will resist all concussion by falling on it, willoffer no painful resistance even when the performer falls face foremost, and from the greatest height.

It will be understoodthat an apron, or device substantially as described, embodies not only the neces sary characteristic features of 'perfect elasticity at every/ point, and the proper spring-capacity, but also constitutes a surface upon which alpercson can conveniently stand, walk, and alight; whereas in the use of any ordinary falling-bed, either the surface must, in order to prevent possibility of injury in falling, be too yielding and soft to stand, walk, or alight on, or, (inorder to render the last-named acts possible,) it must be too hard, and it will be seen thatsuch an elastic platform or bed as I have shown and desoribedinay be employed with great success in th'e'performance of feats on an elevated apparatus. ci y Having described rny invention, so that those skilled can make and use it, l

.What I- claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A safety-apron, composed of any suitable material, and provided with stays, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Also, the combined arrangement, with the apron, of supporting-horses, onefat each end, and holding-cords drawn together at each'end, and adapted-to. be secured to only two stage-fixtures, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I'have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 3d day of December, 1869.

WM. HANLON. [L. s]

Witnesses:

T. B. BEECHER, J. MCINTIRE. 

